Pelvic floor exercisers don’t have to be boring and they will stop you weeing yourself!

The pelvic floor (PF) muscles are located between your legs and run from your pubic bone at the front to the base of your spine at the back. You can think of them as a shopping bag or hammock which supports all of your internal organs – an important job. To stick with this analogy, if you imagine you keep loading up your shopping bag its base will come under more and more strain. In the same way, the weight of your growing baby will put increased pressure on these muscles. They can also be weakened and experience some trauma through childbirth.

Guest post from Patricia Hogenes

Isn’t it an exciting time when you’re pregnant? While you are carrying, you want to think about exercise, because any fitness you build will help later on. For instance, doing bicep curls will be helpful when you are carrying the baby around the house. So what are the do’s and don’ts for pregnancy?

Do be moderate. If you exercised before the pregnancy, it is great to continue your workout routine, but just be moderate. If you used a weight workout regimen before pregnancy, it’s fine to continue that through the first trimester and even into the second. But by the third trimester, you’ll want to be cutting down on your use of weights. Here are some excellent resources with more information:

Do think of alternatives. If you were a runner before you were pregnant, but it’s now midsummer and really hot outside, maybe there is another way to get in a great aerobic routine, without facing the summer heat. Consider water aerobics. To replace the running, think about aqua walking. Just go to the community pool when the lap lanes are open and walk up and down the lap lanes. For more exertion, pick up the pace to aqua jogging. Do keep a water bottle at the end of the lane, to stay well hydrated.

Do use exercise for relaxation. With the stresses your body will be going through over the term of the pregnancy, exercise will function as a great relaxer. Your body sends out signals of calm and exuberance while you work out, and those will be transmitted to the baby, as well as making you relax more. You’ll be using that workout for double duty – keeping yourself peaceful, and helping grow a strong and happy baby.

Don’t overdo it. If you haven’t exercised much, and decide to start during pregnancy, it is perfectly fine to do that. A recommendation by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology is to engage in 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise per day, unless there is a complication. This is an excellent goal to strive for, but start by checking with your medical professional to make sure you’re cleared to begin exercise. Tell the doctor your plan, and make sure it will work for you. Begin with a low level of exercise, and gradually work up to higher levels over time. Don’t try to start with more than you can handle.

Don’t do really strenuous exercises. Be respectful of the changes your body is going through. Yes, it’s fine to exercise, but put some thought into the kinds of exercise which will be appropriate. For instance, there are some types of exercise that could put the belly at risk for trauma. Among those, off-road biking, horseback riding, gymnastics and downhill skiing are exercises that you might want to try later, after you’ve recovered from the pregnancy.

Don’t wait until later. With a lot of things happening in your world during the pregnancy, it would be easy to say “I do mean to work out, but I’ll just get started next week.” Putting things off is a common tendency, but during your pregnancy, time will be going fast, and it would be easy to quickly find yourself in the third trimester, not having worked out, and wishing you had. Start early, or if you’ve already been working out, don’t allow a break in your workout routine. You’ll be glad you did when it comes to the delivery, and after the child is born.

Smile when you think of your pregnancy, and how your exercise routine is making it a more powerful and positive experience.

Patricia Hogenes writes for AnApplePerDay.com, about kids, parenting, exercise and health. She is avid about her workouts, which have ranged from aqua jogging to marathon training to cycling. She and her husband also enjoy entertaining, and taking vacations with their kids.

Why should I carry on running in pregnancy?

Running is fantastic cardiovascular exercise and will help keep your heart and lungs fit and strong. In addition to all the usual benefits from exercising during pregnancy:

A shorter labour, with less likelihood of complications – I had quite enjoyable pregnancies with no sick days from work, straightforward and short labours (both under 5 hours) vaginal deliveries and a very quick recovery, was active within a couple of days!

Less likely to suffer from nausea and morning sickness

Improved core strength and stability

A stronger back and reduction in back pain

Better posture

Stronger pelvic floors

Better circulation, less likely to suffer from varicose veins, swelling and high blood pressure

Stronger bones

Avoid excessive weight gain and easier to get back into shape after the birth

More energy and self-confidence – lift your mood and feel great!

Strengthen the muscles used in childbirth

It will help you sleep

Improved cardio-vascular fitness and muscle tone

Lessen the likelihood of developing gestational diabetes

With all of those benefits, why would you not exercise?! After pregnancy you will retain a lot of these benefits, in addition to finding it easier to lose excess weight and tone up. With running having some time outdoors and time to yourself are also great feel-good benefits.

One of the most common things I hear is that it is not safe to run during pregnancy. There is no one-size-fits-all response to this. It largely depends on your pre-pregnancy fitness level and running experience. If you have never been a runner do not start during pregnancy. If you have done a little bit of running I would suggest keeping it at a moderate intensity (jogging rather than running) and no more than 30 minutes a couple of times a week. If you haven’t done any running for at least a couple of months then do something else. If it feels at all uncomfortable then do something else. If you are an experienced runner then there is no reason you cannot carry on running during your pregnancy.

I carried on running…but was always safe and sensible

I love all kinds of exercise, especially aerobics and other fitness classes, but running really is my all time fave and I ran up to the end of the second trimester with both of my pregnancies. After that it began to feel a bit uncomfortable, but that’s just me. Every woman is different and should listen to their own body. Some women continue to run throughout their pregnancies right to the end and some just don’t feel right running from the outset. Do what feels right for you. I also did my first full marathon when my first baby was 8 months old!

Here are some points about running safely and sensibly during pregnancy:

Avoid overheating

Eat before and after exercise, (a snack, not a three course meal) around an hour either side should do it

Your pre-pregnancy exercise and fitness levels will determine what level you can exercise at

Remember your pelvic floor exercises (even if you are having a c-section) as running does put extra pressure on these muscles

Adapt your running plan as your pregnancy progresses, see below

Warm up and cool down gradually

Stretch the muscles you used in your workout when you get home (all the big leg muscles)

Try to maintain a good posture (all the time!)

Stay well hydrated

Take care not to overstretch or push yourself too hard; the hormone relaxin makes your joints more prone to injury

Advice for running throughout your pregnancy:

running in the first trimester

During trimester one you can carry on as usual, as long as the intensity is not very high (i.e. intervals, sprinting), the duration isn’t too long (i.e. longer than 90 minutes) and you are not working harder than what you have been used to.

running in the second trimester

During trimester two you should start decreasing your intensity and duration once it starts to feel like it is becoming harder. Remember, you should be comfortably be able to maintain a conversation when you are working out. Your body is changing and although you can carry on running (although it should be ‘jogging’ – not too fast!) you should gradually start to adapt your workouts.

running in the third trimester

During trimester three you may be able to carry on jogging if it still feels ok, but make sure you listen to your body and move on to a lower impact activity if it doesn’t feel right. Your bump may make you feel unbalanced or you may have some pelvic aches. Cross training, power walking, cycling and swimming are all great alternatives. If you do continue to jog then, once again, work at a comfortable intensity for a sensible duration and maybe build in some walk/jog sessions, alternating between each for five minutes at a time.

Safety comes first:

In summary, if your pregnancy is low risk and you feel fine, don’t be frightened to continue something you enjoy, but remember running is high impact and you may feel more comfortable moving to gentler activities later on in your pregnancy with a view to taking up running again once you have had your baby. It’s up to you – every woman is different. Definitely ignore anyone that tries to criticise you jogging with a bump; we need to change the way people perceive pregnant women – start the revolution!

Maria is all across the TV this morning with her controversial photo, which shows her with a flat tummy and amazing body with her 3 children. All credit to her this is very clever PR (probably carefully planned for maximum exposure) and has got her worldwide coverage!

She shouldn’t be getting so much criticism though, she is a hard working mum who has prioritised her fitness and her body, setting a great example to her kids.

From my own experience I know that you don’t have to sacrifice time with your children to exercise. If you are motivated you can fit it in around them. But it is hard work, which is why most women don’t bother. Don’t blame her for taking control and looking amazing!

I lost all my baby weight in 2 weeks with both of my daughters with sensible eating and exercise at home, following my exercise plan, the 3-plan. Make having a child the time you become a healthier, fitter, more confident woman and your whole family will benefit.

I will be going along to the baby show this Friday at Earls Court in London to talk to all you lovely ladies about exercise in pregnancy.

I’ll be signing my book – The 3-Plan: Your Complete Pregnancy and Postnatal Exercise Plan and answering any questions about staying fit and healthy in pregnancy. I hope I can put your mind at rest and give you advice and confidence.

I’ll be on the Fittamamma stand (C25) wearing some of their beautiful pregnancy fitness clothes so come along and have a chat and get kitted out for a fit pregnancy. I am really looking forward to meeting you!